The Diner
by KenRik
Summary: AU. 1xR. Relena is a waitress in a diner. And Heero is a millionaire that falls for her. Inspired by Friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.**

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><p>The Diner<p>

The Handsome Man Who Always Came By

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><p>Relena Darlain smiled as she poured another cup of coffee that morning. The diner was on its morning rush and everyone's hands were full.<p>

"Have you ordered, sir?" She asked a diner seating by the bar. The man looked up. And when he did, Relena's eyes widened at the sight before her. She couldn't help but fight back a blush.

"Bacon and eggs." The handsome man muttered hoarsely as he opened the morning's paper. Casting her a glance, he added. "Coffee as well."

Nodding, still with that faint hue on her face, Relena spun around and placed in the order.

When the morning rush finally died down, Relena's eyes wandered around the diner. She scanned through the few people enjoying their meals. Over by the furthermost left corner of the establishment was an aged couple. There were four kids with their mother. A college student sat by the right side of the bar. And there were two middle aged men laughing by the corner.

It was a few past twelve in the afternoon when the handsome man from the morning rush pushed through the glass doors of the diner, entering. She remembered him vividly because he looked strikingly different, handsome, from the rest.

He took the table closest to the door.

Taking no second later, Relena was walking towards him with a pad on her hand.

"What'll you have?" She asked with a smile as she took the pen from the back of her ear. She licked her thumb and leaved through a page on the pad.

"Sausages and mashed potatoes." Was the man's simple reply.

"It'll come out shortly." Relena said, flashing him a smile before leaving for the kitchen.

"It's that handsome Asian man again." Sylvia giggled as she sliced a number of cucumbers.

"Sixth time this week." Dorothy grinned, stealing a look from the window. "And it's only Wednesday." She turned her head as Relena approached. Smiling cheekily at her, Dorothy said in a laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the man fancies you, Relena."

Raising a brow, Relena frowned at her colleague as she placed down the order.

"Please don't." She said before disappearing back to the dining place. She had just pushed the kitchen doors open when she suddenly found herself staring into deep azure orbs over a feet's distance.

"Oh!" Relena mouthed in surprise. "I'm sorry."

"I-" The man started unsurely. A soft pink hue was starting to grow on his cheeks. "I was looking for the washroom."

"Oh." Relena mouthed once more. "It's to the other end of the shop." She smiled, gesturing towards the washrooms.

Giving her a firm nod, the man turned, ready to leave, but before he even took a step, he faced Relena once more and told her rather abruptly, his breath hitching.

"Will you go out with me?"

Relena's eyes bulged open at his question, her cheeks flushing red in an instant.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out. Embarrassed, she covered her darkening cheeks with a hand. "I'm already seeing someone."

"No, she's not!" Dorothy suddenly yelled out from the kitchen window. A cheeky grin played evidently on her features. Flushing even more, Relena shot the woman a death glare before turning back to face the handsome and seemingly rich Asian man.

"I'm sorry." She apologized yet again. "It's just that I don't know you."

The man shrugged, then managing a smile, held out his hand to her.

"Heero Yuy." He told her.

"That's not enough." Relena couldn't help but laugh softly. Heero bit back a smile as he continued to tell her.

"It's okay." Heero said. He wasn't smiling but the expression on his face was pleasant. "I'll be returning to this diner until you agree." He finished, handing her a business card, and bade her with a nod before walking back to his seat. "And, my order?" He called out, slightly turning to face her again. Relena spun away in an instant, blushing madly. When she returned later to give the man his order, Heero merely looked up at her as she set down his plate. She stood uneasily by his side, unable to look away from his stare.

"You know," Heero suddenly said after a while. "I've never done this before. This. Asking someone out."

"I find that quite hard to believe." Relena replied quickly, rather taken back. Then like clockwork, it clicked. "Unless of course, it was the other way around."

Heero merely looked at her, not even indulging what she said.

"I'm really sorry but-"

"Oh! Just go out with him, honey!" An old woman from the aged couple seated at the furthest left corner of the diner yelled out to a suddenly red-faced Relena. "He's very handsome!" Then, turning to the children seated on the booth next to hers, the old woman continued to say sweetly to them in her raspy voice. "But not as handsome my husband was during his prime." She laughed.

"So?" Heero said in question, a corner of his lips smirked at the display the old woman showed them.

"I-" Relena started. She bowed her head in a sigh before looking back up to the handsome Asian man with finally a smile etching her face. And, although she was still flustered, she answered him with a confidence like no other. "Sure."

"Is Saturday good?"

Heero couldn't help but smile back at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Gundam Wing.**

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><p>The Diner<p>

A Date With The Overly Thrifty Waitress

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><p>Relena released a sigh as she stared into her reflection. Taking a hand up to her hair fashioned into a simple bun, she brushed back the stray blonde locks that refused to stay in place as an attempt to hopefully look better. Before her, her tired azure eyes flickered at the sight of her usually plain features now highlighted with the subtle colors of the cosmetic products she managed to find after rummaging through her drawers. Opting now to stand up straight, she studied her night dress. With her lips cast into a frown, Relena told herself that she looked good enough. Apparently, good enough was the only viable standard she could reach due to her lack of self-awareness. Though there was no doubt she knew how to carry herself and look good enough in a simple dress, the pressure of needing to look good for a date, was taking its toll on her.<p>

After accepting she could do no more to accent her looks for the evening, Relena decided to take a seat on her sofa and wait for her date to arrive. There was about more than a quarter of an hour left before Heero came. Looking back and forth her living space uneasily, she coughed to ease the tension agreeing to this date wrought her. She has gone to a number of dates before, dates with good guys, with seemingly good guys, and with those who were just plain bad. Each of those bachelors was different compared to one another to say the least, but they all shared something particularly common amongst her peers— the apparent lack of financial stability. Which was why at this very moment, she had no clue as how to ready herself for the night. Did she need to bring cash? Did she need to dress fancy? Did she need more make-up on? She had absolutely no clue!

If the business card Heero had given her was not a fake, then he'd obviously be unimaginably loaded. After all, CEOs of leading corporations tend to be, right?

With her thoughts flying about against each other, she failed to hear the first buzz tapped into her apartment room. It was seven after eight that evening the moment Relena was able to release herself from her uncharacteristic trance of self-pity and nervousness to answer Heero's buzzing into her apartment.

Almost tripping after pouncing onto her voice caller, Relena pressed onto her speaker button. And without a second later, her smooth voice called out.

"Who is it?"

To which a deep voice replied replied smoothly,

"Heero. Heero Yuy."

"Oh! I—I'll be right down?" Relena spluttered while her eyes scanned the immediate vicinity of items she might forget to bring like a jacket or her purse.

"Take your time." Heero simply told her.

When she reached downstairs, she was greeted by the handsome face of her unlikely admirer and a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly at him when he quietly gestured the bouquet was for her. When Heero led her to his car, Relena took no time in scrutinizing the man's get up. Relena released a sigh at the sight of the attire of her date. The dashing young man was simply clad in a casual collared-shirt and pants. It was a far off get-up for a date somewhere fancy. So, the thought of this night's date taking place somewhere expensive was out of Relena's list of expectations.

"So, where are we going?" Relena asked Heero after a while. Throughout the drive, and ever since he greeted her that night, Heero had said absolutely nothing. Staring straight ahead into the road before them, Heero told her in reply.

"Anywhere you want." And casting a questioning crease of his exotic features, he added. "Did you want anything in particular?"

"Oh. Nothing much." Relena said, blushing a bit at the thought of bringing Heero to her favorite hotdog stand. "How about Italian?"

"Italian sounds good." Heero commented. "And I know just the place."

More than a half hour later, Relena found herself staring at a menu practically telling her she could never afford to buy even just a slice of their lesser priced desserts. Heero was paying, she repeatedly told herself as she browsed back and forth through the contents. But god knows she could never take it in herself to use a man's hard-earned money to pay for something she could buy for less than five bucks.

After a while of Heero shooting her a questioning stare if she was ready to order, Relena shook her head to herself before finally looking back into the gaze of her night's companion. In front of her, Heero sat amazed at the sudden resoluteness of her character.

"I'm sorry." She started, her beautiful face fuming bright red in embarrassment. "But I just can't order anything from their menu."

Raising a brow at her, Heero told her.

"I'm sure you'll find something you like. Try the Lasagna. It's their specialty."

"No, it's not about that." Relena continued. "I can't afford these—"

"I'm sure I can pay."

"No. That's still not what I meant." She repeated, shaking her head. "Not to offend you, but I find this place pretentious." She told him in a careful whisper. "I mean, why should I spend 60 bucks for a plate of Lasagna when I know a place that serves the best pasta for only 4.50?"

Finding himself frowning at the girl's overly thriftiness, Heero told her rather defensively and in good taste.

"I'm pretty sure in terms of quality, the two are rather different."

"But see, as a waitress, I can't afford to think that way." Relena told him exasperatedly. "I'm really sorry but I feel uneasy about spending this much money over a night."

"So, you're saying you want to try a different place?"

"Yes." Relena told Heero with an apologetic smile forming on her features as she looked down at the pristine silver spoons in front of her. "But if you want to eat here, I'm fine with it."

Suddenly standing, Heero told Relena.

"Let's go."

Relena could only follow the man in question out of the establishment and into the open space.

"Where do you suggest we go to?"

"Where? I'm not sure if it would suit your taste."

Heero merely shook his head in disbelief.

"Not to offend you, but I do eat at your diner."

"Of course you do." Relena said as she turned to give him a quirky smile. Suddenly taking hold of his hand, Relena started running and led Heero off into the corners of Times Square she could actually afford. To Heero's surprise, Relena stopped by a hotdog stand and greeted the man behind the booth.

"Two hotdogs." Relena said with a smile plastered on her face. The same smile Heero can't stop tearing out of his system. Handing the man a dollar, Relena finished exchange with a simple thanks and simply gave a hotdog to a rather dumbfounded millionaire.

"Do you not want it?" Relena asked, her voice dropping. Shaking his head, Heero told her.

"It's not that." He said. "I just can't believe I made you pay."

With that, Relena could help but fight back a laugh.

"I'm sure you can find a way to make it up to me next time." She told him with a light chuckle playing on her lips. Beside her, Heero could only smile to himself.

"Of course." He said, smiling down at his hotdog. "Next time."


End file.
